Structural support assemblies and methods for installing same

ABSTRACT

A pier assembly for supporting a structure includes a guide member having a base plate and a plurality of tubular guides extending from the base plate. In addition, the base plate includes a plurality of through holes and each tubular guide includes a through passage aligned with one of the through holes of the base plate. Further, the pier assembly includes a plurality of elongate members. Each elongate member extends through one through hole in the base plate and the through passage of the corresponding tubular guide.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent applicationSer. No. 63/051,482 filed Jul. 14, 2020, and entitled “SupportAssemblies and Methods for Installing Same,” which is herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to assemblies and methods forfoundation underpinning. More particularly, the present disclosurerelates to pier or piling assemblies and methods for installing same tosupport and/or level pre-existing building foundations or newconstruction building foundations.

Several systems and methods have been developed and used for lifting,leveling and stabilizing above-ground structures such as buildings,slabs, walls, columns, etc. One conventional technique employs a stackor pile of pre-cast concrete, cylindrical pile segments that arepositioned underneath and support the structure to be stabilized andleveled. Typically, a hole is dug underneath the structure to a depthslightly greater than the height of a pile segment, then multiple pilesegments are driven into the ground one on top of the other with ahydraulic ram positioned between the pile segments and the structure.The driven pile segments form a vertical stack or pile of the pre-castpile segments, which may also be referred to as a pier. The pilesegments are usually driven into the ground until a subsurface structure(e.g., rock strata) prevents further downward advancement of the pileand/or the resulting pile is believed to be sufficiently deep to supportthe structure. For instance, in situations where a subsurface structurepreventing further downward advancement of the pile cannot be reached,the pile segments are typically driven to a depth great enough to causesufficient friction between the earth and the outer surfaces of the pilesegments to prevent substantial vertical movement of the pile. Next, ajack is positioned on the upper end of the pile, between the uppermostpile segment and the structure, and the structure is raised to thedesired height with the jack.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Embodiments disclosed herein are direct to pier assemblies forsupporting structures. In an embodiment, the pier assembly comprises aguide member having a base plate and a plurality of tubular guidesextending from the base plate. The base plate comprises a plurality ofthrough holes and each tubular guide includes a through passage alignedwith one of the through holes of the base plate. In addition, the pierassembly comprises a plurality of elongate members that extend throughone through hole in the base plate and the through passage of thecorresponding tubular guide.

Embodiments disclosed herein are also directed to methods for installingpiers for supporting structures. In an embodiment, the method comprises(a) seating a guide member against the ground. The guide member includesa base plate, a first tubular guide extending downward from the baseplate, and a second tubular guide extending downward from the baseplate. The method also comprises (b) bending a first elongate memberextending through the base plate and the first tubular guide after (a),wherein the first elongate member has a lower end inserted into theground and an upper end coupled to a driver above the ground. Inaddition, the method comprises (c) actuating the driver during (b) to(i) advance the first elongate member through the base plate and thetubular guide and (ii) advance the lower end of the first elongatemember through the ground. Further, the method comprises (d) bending asecond elongate member extending through the base plate and the secondtubular guide after (c), wherein the second elongate member has a lowerend inserted into the ground and an upper end coupled to the driverabove the ground. Still further, the method comprises (e) actuating thedriver during (d) to (i) advance the second elongate member through thebase plate and the tubular guide and (ii) advance the lower end of thesecond elongate member through the ground.

Embodiments described herein comprise a combination of features andcharacteristics intended to address various shortcomings associated withcertain prior devices, systems, and methods. The foregoing has outlinedrather broadly the features and technical characteristics of thedisclosed embodiments in order that the detailed description thatfollows may be better understood. The various characteristics andfeatures described above, as well as others, will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art upon reading the following detaileddescription, and by referring to the accompanying drawings. It should beappreciated that the conception and the specific embodiments disclosedmay be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing otherstructures for carrying out the same purposes as the disclosedembodiments. It should also be realized that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the principlesdisclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a detailed description of various exemplary embodiments, referencewill now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of embodiments of pier assemblies inaccordance with principles described herein for supporting a structure;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional side view of one of thepier assemblies of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the base and the cap of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the base of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method inaccordance with principles described herein for installing the pierassembly of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 6a-6d are sequential, schematic illustrations of the blocks of themethod of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional side view of another pierassembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a top view of an embodiment of a base in accordance withprinciples described herein for use with embodiments of pier assembliesdescribed herein; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a pier assembly inaccordance with the principles described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following discussion is directed to various exemplary embodiments.However, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that theexamples disclosed herein have broad application, and that thediscussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of thatembodiment, and not intended to suggest that the scope of thedisclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.

The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features andcomponents herein may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhatschematic form and some details of conventional elements may not beshown in interest of clarity and conciseness.

In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and“comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should beinterpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” Also, theterm “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect ordirect connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device,that connection may be through a direct connection of the two devices,or through an indirect connection that is established via other devices,components, nodes, and connections. In addition, as used herein, theterms “axial” and “axially” generally mean along or parallel to a givenaxis (e.g., central axis of a body or a port), while the terms “radial”and “radially” generally mean perpendicular to the given axis. Forinstance, an axial distance refers to a distance measured along orparallel to the axis, and a radial distance means a distance measuredperpendicular to the axis. As used herein, the terms “approximately,”“about,” “substantially,” and the like mean within 10% (i.e., plus orminus 10%) of the recited value. Thus, for example, a recited angle of“about 80 degrees” refers to an angle ranging from 72 degrees to 88degrees.

As previously described, some conventional methods for installing pilesand piers use pre-cast concrete cylindrical pile segments that arepressed into the soil using a hydraulic ram positioned between thepre-existing structure to be supported and the upper most pile segment.The ram bears against the pre-existing structure to push the pilesegments into the ground. After each pile segment is pressed into thesoil, the hydraulic ram is released, another pile segment is placed ontop of the previous pile segment, and the hydraulic ram is againpressurized to further drive the vertical stack of pile segments intothe soil. Ideally, this procedure is repeated to form a pier or pilethat extends to a depth sufficient to support the structure, however,this is not always possible and a shorter and less supportive pier mayresult. For example, localized dense rock or soil strata may resistfurther driving via the hydraulic ram, yet the pier may still not beadequately supportive if it does not extend to a static zone whereminimal soil movement occurs. In addition, such conventional methodsrequire a pre-existing structure for the hydraulic ram to push against,and thus, typically cannot be used with new construction (i.e., cannotbe installed prior to the construction of the structure itself). Stillfurther, such conventional methods are limited by the weight of thepre-existing structure, as the maximum pushing force of the hydraulicram is limited to the weight of the pre-existing structure as a force inexcess of the weight of the pre-existing structure will simply raise thestructure upward without advancing the depth of the stack of pilesegments. Stated differently, the driving depth of the stack of pilesegments is directly related to the weight of the pre-existingstructure. Therefore, in some applications, relatively light weightstructures may not allow for the installation of piers to sufficientdepths. It should also be appreciated that pushing with a sufficientforce against the pre-existing structure may damage the pre-existing.For example, if the force applied by a hydraulic ram is sufficientlylarge to lift a portion of the pre-existing structure while otherportions remain substantially stationary, undesirable flexing of thepre-existing structure may occur. Accordingly, embodiments of pierassemblies and methods disclosed herein enable pier depths that areindependent of the structure to be supported or leveled (e.g.,independent of the weight of a pre-existing structure), and further, canbe used with pre-existing structures or in new construction applications(i.e., prior to the structure being built). In addition, embodiments ofpier assemblies and methods disclosed herein can be employed withoutexerting substantial loads on pre-exiting structures as compared toconventional methods, and thus, may be used to preserve the mechanicalintegrity of pre-existing structures.

Referring now to FIG. 1, embodiments of support or pier assemblies 100,200, 300 for underpinning and supporting a pre-existing structure 2 areshown. In FIG. 1, pre-existing structure 2 is a building (e.g., a house)having a foundation that generally supports structure 2 above the ground4. In this embodiment, the foundation comprises a plurality of laterallyspaced supports 6, however, in other embodiments, the foundation may bea poured, concrete slab.

In FIG. 1, the subsurface below ground 4 is shown as including a dynamiczone 8 including a dense strata 12 and a static zone 14 below dynamiczone 8. Dynamic zone 8 represents soil and rock layers that translate ormove with over time, for example, heave, expand, settle, contract, orcombinations thereof. Such movement may occur in response to moisturechanges, freeze thaw cycles, or other geological subsurface activity.The soil composition within dynamic zone 8 may contribute to themagnitude of movement within dynamic zone 8. For example clay soils areparticularly susceptible to volumetric swelling and contraction inresponse to excessive moisture or a sufficient reduction in moisture,respectively, while sandy soils are particularly susceptible tosettling. Independent of the specific cause of the soil motion, dynamiczone 8 generally provides insufficient support for structure 2 assupports 6 may translate together with dynamic zone 6. Dense strata 12represents a localized region within dynamic zone 8 that has a higherdensity and/or hardness than the soil in the remainder of dynamic zone8. In FIG. 1, dense strata 12 is depicted as a discrete singlehorizontal layer (e.g., such as a hardpan layer), however, dense strata12 may comprise a plurality of layers that are distributed throughoutdynamic zone 8 (e.g., discrete rocks, aggregate, a plurality of denselayers, etc.). As will be discussed in more detail below, dense strata12 may provide increased resistance to installation of pier assemblies100, 200, 300 due to the increased localized density, but may stillexperience movement within dynamic zone 8 or in response to the movementof dynamic zone 8. Consequently, dense strata 12 may also provideinsufficient support for pier assemblies 100, 200, 300 and structure 2.Static zone 14 represents soil and rock layers that exhibit little to nomovement over time, and thus, provide a more stable base to support pierassemblies 100, 200, 300 and structure 2.

In general, pier assemblies 100, 200, 300 may be used individually or incombination to support structure 2. For explanatory purposes, threedifferent pier assemblies 100, 200, 300 are shown in FIG. 1, however,the same or different types of pier assemblies 100, 200, 300 can be usedto support a given structure (e.g., structure 2). Although each pierassembly 100, 200, 300 will be described in more detail below, it shouldbe appreciated that in embodiments described herein, each pier assembly100, 200, 300 includes a plurality of elongate members or rods 130 thatextend from a hole 20 excavated below supports 6 to static zone 14. Eachelongate member 130 has a first or lower end 130 a disposed in staticzone 14 and a second or upper end 130 b at hole 20. As used herein, theterm “elongate” is used to refer to an object that has a length that issubstantially greater than its width. In general, the ratio of thelength of an object measured parallel to its longitudinal axis to itsmaximum width or diameter (for objects having a circular cross-section)measured perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, also referred to hereinas a “length-to-width ratio,” can be used to quantify and characterizethe degree to which the object is “elongate.” For most applications,embodiments of elongate members 130 described herein have a length of atleast 10 feet, alternatively at least 20 feet, alternatively at least 40feet, or alternatively at least 60 feet; and a maximum width or diameterless than or equal to 2.0 inches, alternatively less than or equal to1.25 inches, alternatively less than or equal to 1.0 inches,alternatively less than or equal to 0.75 inches, alternatively less thanor equal to 0.625 inches, alternatively less than or equal to 0.5inches, alternatively less than or equal to 0.375 inches, oralternatively less than or equal to 0.25 inches. Accordingly, for mostapplications, embodiments of elongate members 130 described herein havea length-to-width ratio of at least 10.0, at least 20.0, at least 100.0,at least 160.0, at least 190.0, or at least 240.0. In general, thesmaller the maximum width or diameter of an elongate member 130, theeasier it is to advance the elongate member 130 to a greater depth D. Itshould be appreciated that the maximum width or diameter of eachelongate member 130 and the length-to-width ratio of each elongatemember 130 may be varied and adjusted depending on a variety of factorsincluding, without limitation, the particular application, the conditionof the soil, the weight of the structure to be supported, the type ofstructure to be supported, the desired depth to be advanced into thesoil, or combinations thereof. As will be described in more detailbelow, elongate members 130 are made of relatively rigid metal such assteel, however, due to the relatively large length-to-width ratios,elongate members 130 can elastically flex during installation. In thisembodiment, each elongate member 130 is an elongate, solid metal rodhaving a solid, continuous cross-sectional taken in any plane orientedperpendicular to its longitudinal axis, and in particular, each elongatemember 130 is steel rebar. In general, each hole 20 is excavated toprovide sufficient clearance below structure 2 and supports 6 for theinstallation of the corresponding pier assembly 100, 200, 300.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, pier assembly 100 includes a guidemember 110 seated in the bottom of hole 20, a plurality of elongate rods130 extending through guide member 110 to static zone 14, and a cap orcover plate 120 seated directly on top of guide member 110. As bestshown in FIGS. 2-4, guide member 110 includes a body or base plate 111and a plurality of tubular guides 114 extending downward from base plate111. Base plate 111 and guides 114 are made of rigid, durable materialssuitable for use below ground 4. Examples of suitable materials includesteel, stainless steel, aluminum, rigid polymeric material, concrete, orcombinations thereof. In some embodiments, the base plate 111 is formedof one material (e.g., concrete) and the guides 114 are formed byanother material (e.g., such as steel tubes) disposed in and/orextending from the base plate 111.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, base plate 111 has a first or upperplanar surface 111 a, a second or lower planar surface 111 b orientedparallel to surface 111 a, and a plurality of spaced through bores orholes 112 extending from upper surface 111 a to lower surface 111 b. Asshown in 4, in this embodiment, base plate 111 is a rectangular platehaving a rectangular outer profile 113 in top view, however, in otherembodiments, the base plate (e.g., base plate 111) may have othergeometries (e.g., triangular, circular, hexagonal, etc.). In addition,base plate 111 has a central axis 115 oriented perpendicular to surfaces111 a, 111 b and geometrically centered relative to outer profile 113, afirst axis 116 a perpendicular to and intersecting axis 115, and asecond axis 116 b perpendicular to and intersecting axes 115, 116 a.Thus, axes 115, 116 a, 116 b are orthogonal with axes 116 a, 116 b beingdisposed in a plane oriented parallel to surfaces 111 a, 111 b.

Tubular guides 114 are fixably attached to base plate 111 (e.g., weldedto or integral with base plate 111) such that guides 114 do not movetranslationally or rotationally relative to base plate 111, and further,tubular guides 114 extend downward from lower surface 111 b. Each guide114 has a central or longitudinal axis 119, a first or upper end 114 afixably attached to base plate 111, a second or lower end 114 b distalbase plate 111, and a central through bore or passage 117 extendingaxially from end 114 a to end 114 b. In this embodiment, each tubularguide 114 has a radially outer cylindrical surface extending axiallybetween ends 114 a, 114 b and a radially inner cylindrical surfaceextending between ends 114 a, 114 b and defining bore 117. However, inother embodiments, one or more tubular guides (e.g., tubular guides 114)may have radially outer and/or radially inner surfaces with differentgeometries such as rectangular prismatic, triangular prismatic, etc.

Referring still to FIGS. 3 and 4, guides 114 are positioned and attachedto base plate 111 such that passage 117 of each guide 114 is alignedwith a corresponding hole 112 (e.g., coaxially aligned), therebycreating a continuous bore or passage extending through base plate 111and the corresponding guide 114. In this embodiment, upper ends 114 a ofguides 114 are attached to lower surface 111 b of base plate 111.However, in other embodiments, the guides (e.g., guides 114) extendthrough the base plate (e.g., base plate 111) such that the bore of eachguide defines a continuous passage through the base plate and the guide.

In this embodiment, guides 114 are uniformly spaced and arranged in arectangular matrix as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In addition, in thisembodiment, a first plurality of guides 114 are oriented parallel tocentral axis 115 of base plate 111 (e.g., axes 115, 119 are parallel),while a second plurality of guides 114 are oriented at an acute angles αrelative to axis 115 of base plate 111 (e.g., axes 115, 119 are orientedat acute angles α) in front and/or side view. Angle α may lie in a planeparallel to axis 115 or may lie in a plane that is not parallel to axis115. In this embodiment, the radially outermost guides 114 are flaredoutward such that each extends outward and away from axis 115 in bothfront view and side view moving from upper end 114 a to lower end 114 b.In some embodiments described herein, angle α is an acute angle lessthan or equal to 45°, alternatively an acute angle greater than or equalto 5° and less than or equal to 30°, and alternatively an acute anglegreater than or equal to 10° and less than or equal to 15°.

Referring briefly to FIG. 3, cover plate 120 is a rigid plate having afirst or upper planar surface 120 a, a second or lower planar surface120 b, and an outer profile that is similar to outer profile 113 of baseplate 111. In this embodiment, cover plate 120 has a rectangular outerprofile that is substantially the same as outer profile 113 of baseplate 111. In general, cover plate 120 is configured to cover and extendacross all of the holes 112 in base plate 111, and thus, the dimensionsof cover plate 120 (e.g., length and width) sufficiently large to ensureit covers all holes 112.

When pier assembly 100 is installed as shown in FIG. 2, guide member 110is seated in the bottom of hole 20 with base plate 111 horizontallyoriented (axis 115 vertically oriented), surface 111 a facing upward,and guides 114 extending downward from base plate 111 into the ground.In addition, one elongate member 130 extends through each aligned bore112 and passage 117 into the ground below guide member 110. In thisembodiment, when installed, each elongate member 130 extends linearly ina direction generally coaxially aligned with axis 119 of thecorresponding passage 117. Cover plate 120 is seated on base plate 111with lower surface 120 a abutting and directly engaging upper surface111 a, thereby closing off bores 112 at upper surface 111 a andpreventing elongate members 130 from extending upwardly above guidemember 110.

Although guide member 110 includes base plate 111 and a plurality oftubular guides 114 extending from base plate 111 in this embodiment, inother embodiment, tubular guides 114 may not be included. For example,in one embodiment, the base plate (e.g., base plate 111) includes aplurality of holes (e.g., holes 112) extending therethrough, however, noguides (e.g., guides 114) extend from the lower surface of the baseplate. In such embodiments, the elongate members (e.g., elongate members130) are advanced through and guided by the holes in the base plate. Insome such embodiments, the holes in the base plate may be defined by andlined with tubulars such as steel tubulars to enhance wear resistanceand integrity of the base plate.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an embodiment of a method 500 for installingpier assembly 100 is shown. FIG. 5 will be described in connection withFIGS. 6a-6d , which illustrate select blocks of method 500. In addition,method 500 will be described in the context of lifting and/or levelingpre-existing structure 2, however, in general, embodiments of pierassembly 100 and method 500 can be used to support new construction withpier assembly being installed prior to construction of the structurethat pier assembly 100 ultimately supports.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, method 500 begins at block 520, where ahole 20 is excavated below structure 2 at the desired installationlocation for pier assembly 100. In embodiments where pier assembly 100is installed below existing structure 2 (as opposed to use in newconstruction), hole 20 may provide vertical clearance for personnel towork beneath structure 2, to accommodate equipment used to install pierassembly 100, and to accommodate components used in connection with pierassembly 100 as described in more detail below. The depth of hole 20 maybe varied as needed and may be omitted in some embodiments. For example,hole 20 may not be required for new construction, where the structure tobe supported by pier assembly 100 is not yet constructed.

Moving now to block 530, in embodiments including existing structure 2,guide member 110 is placed in hole 20 and pressed downward into hole 20with a jack 140 to advance tubular guides 114 into the ground andposition base plate 111 in a horizontal orientation against the bottomof the hole 20 as shown in FIG. 6a . With guides 114 advanced into theground, guide member 110 is generally held static and restricted and/orprevented from moving translationally and rotationally relative to theground. In this embodiment, jack 140 is a hydraulic ram that urgessupport 6 of structure 2 (not shown in FIG. 6a ) and guide member 110vertically away from each other to press guides 114 into ground 4 andseat base plate 111 against the bottom of hole 20. In embodiments wherestructure 2 does not have adequate supports 6, a distribution block 160may be used to increase the contact area along structure 2, therebyreducing the localized forces and stresses applied to structure 2.Additionally, for new construction, wherein structure 2 is not yetinstalled, heavy equipment such as a tractor or excavator may be usedinstead of jack 140 to directly apply downward forces against base plate111 to sufficient to seat guide member 110 in the hole 20. Stillfurther, in applications where the ground is sufficiently soft, guidemember 110 may be manually urged downward and seated against the bottomof hole 20.

Moving now to block 540, a plurality of elongate members 130 are drivendownward through the bores 112 and aligned passages 117 of guide member110 into the ground therebelow as shown in FIG. 6b . In this embodiment,one elongate member 130 is advanced through each bore 112 andcorresponding passage 117. More specifically, first end 130 a of eachelongate member 130 is inserted into a corresponding passage 117, whilea second end 130 b of the elongate member 130 is coupled to a gun ordriver 170 operated by a user 180. In this embodiment, each elongatemember 130 is rigid steel rebar that may elastically flex (e.g., littleto no plastic deformation) due to its length-to-width ratio as describedabove. Such flexing allows the elongate member 130 to curve between user180 when standing on ground 4 and guide member 110. Driver 170 appliescontinuous, cyclical axial impacts to end 130 b and/or vibrations toelongate member 130 during the driving of process in block 540 toadvance elongate member 130 through guide member 110 (i.e., through thecorresponding passage 117 and bore 112) and into the ground below guidemember 110. In general, driver 170 may be any device known in the artfor applying cyclical axial impacts and/or vibrations to elongate member130 including, without limitation, a jack hammer, demolition hammer,rotary hammer, hammer drill, chisel, or the like. In some embodiments,driver 170 may also apply torsional forces to rotate elongate member 130about its longitudinal axis during installation in block 540. As bestshown in FIG. 1, elongate members 130 are preferably driven into ground4 to a depth D that extends to static zone 14. In many applications,depth D ranges from about 2.0 ft. to about 100 ft., alternatively fromabout 10 ft. to about 40 ft., or alternatively from about 10 ft. toabout 30 ft. Each elongate member 130 has a length sufficient to enablelower end 130 a to be disposed in static zone 14 while upper end 130 bis disposed in guide member 110 (e.g., in the corresponding bore 112 orpassage 117) or just above base plate 111. It should be appreciated thateach elongate member 130 is separately and independently driven into theground 4. In general, elongate members 130 may be driven one at a time,or multiple elongate members 130 may be driven simultaneously bymultiple users 180.

As shown in FIG. 6b , as elongate members 130 are passed though guidemember 110, tubular guides 114 locally straighten the curvature ofelongate members 130 and generally direct them along a linear pathoriented at the angle established by central axis 119 of thecorresponding tubular guide 114 (i.e., the portion of each elongatemember 130 extending downward from the corresponding tubular guide 114is coaxially aligned or substantially coaxially aligned with thecorresponding tubular guide 114). Consequently, acute angles α aspreviously described and shown in FIG. 3 result in the plurality ofelongate members 130 forming a bell arrangement 113 that generallyexpands radially outward relative to axis 115 of guide member 110 movingdownward therefrom as shown in FIG. 6c . Namely, in the installedpositions, the spacing between the lower ends 130 a of elongate members130 is greater than the spacing between upper ends 130 b of elongatemembers 130. Although each elongate member 130 is shown as a singlecontinuous member, in other embodiments each elongate member 130 may byformed as a series of coupled or connected segments. Each segment may becoupled end to end with any method (e.g., by welding, bolting, couplingwith a separate connector, etc.). The coupling of each elongate member130 segment may occur before the driving of elongate members 130 inblock 540, or may occur concurrently with the driving of block 540. Inparticular, in some embodiments, a first elongate member 130 may be atleast partially driven into aperture 117, the driving may be postponedwhile another elongate member 130 is coupled to the current elongatemember 130, and the driving of the extended elongate member 130 maycontinue.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 b, each elongate member 130 passes throughguide member 110 directly into the ground 4. Thus, once installed, eachelongate member 130 directly engages and is surrounded by the naturalsubsurface materials (e.g., soil, gravel, rocks, clay, etc.) in theground 4. In other words, in embodiments described herein, nointermediate device or structure is disposed between each elongatemember 130 and the surrounding ground 4.

Referring again to FIG. 5 and moving to block 550, after the desirednumber of elongate members 130 are installed through guide member 110,cover plate 120 is placed onto guide member 110, and more specifically,onto upper surface 111 a of base plate 111 as shown in FIG. 6c . Ifupper ends 130 b of one or more elongate members 130 extends slightlyabove base plate 111 following block 540, cover plate 120 can be placedatop guide member 110 and pressed downward to urge such upper ends 130 binto guide member 110 and seat cover plate 120 against guide plate 111in block 550. As previously described, cover plate 120 closes off andblocks holes 112 in base plate 111, thereby restricting and/orpreventing elongate members 130 from moving upward through guide member110. Next, in block 560, jack 140 is placed on top of cover plate 120,and then in block 570, jack 140 is used to lift structure 2. It shouldbe appreciated that the lifting according to block 570 may be performedon one pier assembly 100 at a time or be performed with a plurality ofjacks 140 installed on a plurality of pier assemblies 100 concurrently.After the desired lifting or loading of structure 2 is achieved, a pairof supports or columns 150 are positioned between cover plate 120 andstructure 2 on opposite sides of jack 140 in block 580 as shown in FIG.6d . Columns 150 may be placed equidistant from axis 115 of guide member110 so that vertical loads applied to pier assembly 100 aresubstantially balanced and no moment is applied to pier assembly 100. Insome embodiments, an additional distribution block 160 may be used as toprovide load reaction points in positions coinciding with columns 150.In addition, shims 152 may also be used along one or more columns 150 toadjust for inaccuracies in supports 6 or distribution block 160. Movingnow to block 590, jack 140 is lowered to transfer the load of structure2 onto columns 150 and pier assembly 100, and then jack 140 is removed.

Without being limited by this or any particular theory, the bellarrangement 113 of elongate members 130 offers the potential to enhancesoil stabilization within dynamic zone 8 and reduce the magnitude ofmovement and shifting of pier assembly 100 within dynamic zone 8 overtime. In addition, bell arrangement 113 may transfer the compressiveloading of pier assembly 100 over a large volume of soil within ground4, and thus, thus may result in lower soil pressures for a givenstructure 2 weight, as compared to conventional cylindrical concretepiers. In addition (as best shown in FIG. 1), because elongate members130 are installed sequentially, with each presenting a smaller frontalcross-sectional area than traditional concrete cylinder systems,elongate members may be able to achieve increased depths D as comparedto prior art systems. More particularly, elongate members 130 may bedriven through dense strata 12, past dynamic zone 8, and into staticzone 14.

Referring to FIG. 7, pier assembly 200 is shown. In general, pierassembly 200 can be used in place of any one or more pier assemblies 100previously described. Pier assembly 200 is substantially the same aspier assembly 100 previously described, and thus, components of pierassembly 200 that are shared with pier assembly 100 are identified withlike reference numerals, and the description below will focus offeatures of pier assembly 200 which are different from pier assembly100.

In this embodiment, pier assembly 200 includes a guide member 210 seatedin the bottom of hole 20, a plurality of elongate members 130 extendingthrough guide member 210 to static zone 14, and a cover plate 120 seateddirectly on top of guide member 210. Elongate members 130 and coverplate 120 are as previously described. Guide member 210 is similar toguide member 110 previously described. In particular, guide member 210includes a base plate 211 and a plurality of tubular guides 214extending from base plate 211. Base plate 211 and guides 214 are made ofrigid, durable materials suitable for use below ground 4. Base plate 211has a first or upper planar surface 211 a, a second or lower planarsurface 211 b oriented parallel to surface 211 a, and a plurality ofspaced through bores or holes 212 extending from upper surface 211 a tolower surface 211 b. In addition, base plate 211 has a central axis 215oriented perpendicular to surfaces 211 a, 211 b and geometricallycentered relative to the outer profile of base plate 211. Unlike holes112 in base plate 111 previously described, in this embodiment, eachhole 212 in base plate 211 is oriented parallel to axis 215.

Tubular guides 214 are fixably attached to base plate 211 (e.g., weldedto or integral with base plate 211) such that guides 214 do not movetranslationally or rotationally relative to base plate 211, and further,tubular guides 214 extend from lower surface 211 b of base plate 211.Each guide 214 has a central or longitudinal axis 219, a first or upperend 214 a attached to base plate 211, a second or lower end 214 b distalbase plate 211, and a central through bore or passage 217 extendingaxially from end 214 a to end 214 b. Guides 214 are positioned andattached to base plate 211 such that each passage 217 is aligned (e.g.,coaxially aligned) with a corresponding hole 212, thereby creating acontinuous bore or passage extending through base plate 111 and thecorresponding guide 214. Unlike guides 114 previously described, in thisembodiment, each guide 214 is oriented parallel to axis 215 (i.e.,central axes 219 are oriented parallel to central axis 215).

Similar to pier assembly 100, in this embodiment of pier assembly 200,one elongate member 130 is installed within each hole 212 andcorresponding passage 217 and extends from upper surface 211 a intoground 4. Each elongate member 130 extends in a direction generallyparallel to axis 215, thereby forming a column arrangement 213.

When pier assembly 200 is installed as shown in FIG. 7, guide member 210is seated in the bottom of hole 20 with base plate 211 horizontallyoriented (axis 215 vertically oriented), surface 211 a facing upward,and guides 214 extending downward from base plate 211 into the ground.In addition, one elongate member 130 extends through each aligned bore112 and passage 117 and into the ground. In this embodiment, wheninstalled, each elongate member 130 extends linearly in a directiongenerally parallel to axes 215, 219. Cover plate 120 is seated on baseplate 211 with lower surface 120 a abutting and directly engaging uppersurface 211 a, thereby closing off bores 212 at upper surface 211 a andpreventing elongate members 130 from extending upwardly above guidemember 210. Pier assembly 200 is installed and functions in the samemanner as pier assembly 100 previously described.

Referring again to FIG. 1, another embodiment of a pier assembly 300 isshown. In general, pier assembly 300 can be used in place of any one ormore pier assemblies 100, 200 previously described. Pier assembly 300 issimilar to pier assembly 100 previously described, and thus, componentsof pier assembly 300 that are shared with pier assembly 100 areidentified with like reference numerals, and the description below willfocus of features of pier assembly 200 which are different from pierassembly 100.

In this embodiment, pier assembly 300 includes a plurality of elongatemembers 130 but does not include a guide member (e.g., guide member 110,210) or a cover plate (e.g., cover plate 120). Rather, elongate members130 are installed in a column arrangement 213 as described for pierassembly 200, and distribution block 260 is seated on the upper ends 130b of the elongate members 130 in hole 20.

Elongate members 130 may be installed in the manner previously describedfor pier assemblies 100, 200 using a guide member 110, 210 that may thenbe removed (e.g., after block 540). Because the guide member (e.g.,guide member 110, 210) is removed following installation of elongatemembers 130, the guide member may be installed onto ground 4 in aninverted orientation. This inverted orientation results in the tubularguides (e.g., guides 114, 214) extending upwards, thereby eliminatingthe need to advance the tubular guides into the ground. In addition, theguides may be made removable from the base plate (e.g., base plate 111,211), which may aid in the removal of the guide member as bindingbetween the guides and the plurality of elongate members 130 may bereduced or eliminated once the guides are removed from the constrainedpositions along the base plate. Thus in some embodiments, the tubularguides (e.g., tubular guides 114, 214) may be releasably coupled to baseplate 111, 211, respectively. For example, in some embodiments, guides114, 214 are threadably attached to base plate 111, 211, respectively.

Referring still to FIG. 1, distribution block 360 may be installed ontop of the plurality of elongate members 130 of pier assembly 300, andmay support the compressive loads between pier assembly 300 and supports6 of structure 2. In some embodiments, one distribution block 360 may beused and sized such that it abuts with the upper ends 130 b of elongatemembers 130. In other embodiments, distribution block 360 may be sizedsmaller than the arrangement of elongate members 130 and a cover plate120 may be positioned against upper ends 130 b between distributionblock 360 and elongate members 130. Further, in some embodiments, aplurality of distribution blocks 360 may be used to abut with the upperends 130 b of elongate members 130.

In the embodiments of guide members 110, 210 previously described, thebase plates 111, 211, respectively, had a rectangular outer profile.However, in other embodiments, the outer profile of the base plate mayhave a different geometry. For example, referring now to FIG. 8, anembodiment of a guide member 410 is shown. In general, guide member 410can be used in place of guide member 110, 210 previously described.Guide member 410 is substantially the same as guide member 110previously described, with the exception that guide member 410 includesa base plate 411 with a hexagonal outer profile 413 and holes 112 arenot arranged in a rectangular pattern.

Referring now to FIG. 9, another embodiment of a pier assembly 400 isshown. In general, pier assembly 400 can be used in place of any pierassembly 100, 200, 300 previously described. Pier assembly 400 is thesame as pier assembly 200 previously described with the exception thatelongate members 130 do not extend linearly into the ground below guidemember 210, but rather curve to form a flared column arrangement 203.Flared column arrangement 203 may be formed independent of the initialangle of elongate members 130 as established by guide member 210. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 9, despite the parallel arrangement of guides214, elongate members 130 progressively curve radially outwardlyrelative to central axis 215 as user 180 advances elongate member 130into ground 4 using driver 170. Such steering may be achieved by using apre-bent elongate member 130 (e.g., having a pre-determined radius ofcurvature rather than a linear profile). In addition, it is anticipatedthat elongate members 130 may be steered by modifying the tip shape ofelongate members 130 (e.g., a beveled tip or flared tip). Such steeringmay be advantageous in some embodiments as the shape of flared columnarrangement 203 may be tailored for the specific installation site andground 4 conditions, and thus may offer selectable attributes from bothcolumn arrangement 213 and bell arrangement 113. As previously describedabove, the spacing and arrangement of elongate members 130 maycontribute to soil stabilization within dynamic zone 8, increasedbearing load capacity of the soil adjacent to and captured within thearrangement of elongate members 130, and may transfer the compressiveloading on pier assemblies over a larger volume of soil. In addition,such steering of elongate members 130 may offer practical installationadvantages as user 180 may steer elongate members 130 away frompre-existing structures (e.g., plumbing or electrical lines) beneath oradjacent to structure 2.

In the manner described, embodiments disclosed herein include piersystems and methods of installing pier systems which may be used with apre-existing structure, or may be used independently of a structure. Forexample, embodiments of pier assemblies disclosed herein (e.g., pierassemblies 100, 200, 300) are configured to provide and do providevertical, upward forces sufficient to support the weight (or portionthereof) of a structure (e.g., pre-existing structure 2). The disclosedsystems and methods allow piers to be installed while applying no forceor only a relatively small force to the pre-existing structure, and thusmay be used to preserve the mechanical integrity of such structures. Inaddition, systems and methods disclosed herein include systems which canachieve pier depths which are independent of the pre-existing structureweight, and as a result may be used for variable weight structures andfor new construction where no structure is present.

As shown in FIG. 1, some structures 2 may include a plurality ofsupports 6 which are laterally spaced along a perimeter of structure 2,however supports 6 may also be positioned in other locations for exampleunder central regions of structure 2. Thus in some embodiments, user 180may operate driver 170 while inside of or under structure 2. Inaddition, different quantities of supports 6 may be used, for example asingular support 6 which spans across the bottom of structure 2 (e.g., amonolithic concrete slab). Thus, in some embodiments, pier assemblies(e.g., pier assembly 100) may be installed by first tunneling ordrenching beneath the monolithic concrete slab. In addition, a throughhole may be created in a monolithic concrete slab to allow theinstallation of the disclosed pier assemblies (e.g., pier assembly 100).

Referring again to FIGS. 4 and 7, it is anticipated that cover plate 120may be omitting in some embodiments and elongate members 130 by befixably attached to guide member 110, 210 after elongate members 130 areinstalled according to block 540. For example, elongate members 130 maybe fixed at upper ends 130 b to portions of guide member 110, 210 usingwelding, locking sleeves, pins, crimp connectors, concrete, or epoxy.

While exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, modificationsthereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from thescope or teachings herein. The embodiments described herein areexemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modificationsof the systems, apparatus, and processes described herein are possibleand are within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope ofprotection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but isonly limited by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall includeall equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Unless expresslystated otherwise, the steps in a method claim may be performed in anyorder. The recitation of identifiers such as (a), (b), (c) or (1), (2),(3) before steps in a method claim are not intended to and do notspecify a particular order to the steps, but rather are used to simplifysubsequent reference to such steps.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pier assembly for supporting a structure, thepier assembly comprising: a guide member including a base plate and aplurality of tubular guides extending from the base plate, wherein thebase plate has a central axis and includes a plurality of through holes,and wherein each tubular guide includes a through passage aligned withone of the through holes of the base plate; a plurality of elongatemembers, wherein each elongate member extends through one through holein the base plate and the through passage of the corresponding tubularguide.
 2. The pier assembly of claim 1, wherein each elongate member hasa length-to-width ratio greater than
 10. 3. The pier assembly of claim1, wherein each elongate member has a length-to-width ratio greater than100.
 4. The pier assembly of claim 2, wherein each elongate member has awidth or diameter less than or equal to 1.0 in.
 5. The pier assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the base plate has an upper planar surface and a lowerplanar surface oriented parallel to the upper planar surface, whereinthe central axis of the base plate is oriented perpendicular to theupper planar surface; wherein each tubular guide has a central axisoriented parallel to the central axis of the base plate.
 6. The pierassembly of claim 1, wherein the base plate has an upper planar surfaceand a lower planar surface oriented parallel to the upper planarsurface, wherein the central axis of the base plate is orientedperpendicular to the upper planar surface; wherein one or more of thetubular guides has a central axis oriented at an acute angle relative tothe central axis of the base plate in a front view or a side view of theguide member.
 7. The pier assembly of claim 1, further comprising acover plate disposed on top of the base plate and covering the throughholes in the base plate.
 8. The pier assembly of claim 1, wherein eachelongate member comprises rebar.
 9. The pier assembly of claim 1,wherein the base plate has a rectangular outer profile in top view. 10.The pier assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of elongate membersare oriented parallel to each other.
 11. The pier assembly of claim 1,wherein the plurality of elongate members form a bell arrangement thatexpands radially outward relative to the central axis of the guidemember moving downward from the guide member.
 12. A method forinstalling a pier for supporting a structure, the method comprising: (a)seating a guide member against the ground, wherein the guide memberincludes a base plate, a first tubular guide extending downward from thebase plate, and a second tubular guide extending downward from the baseplate; (b) bending a first elongate member extending through the baseplate and the first tubular guide after (a), wherein the first elongatemember has a lower end inserted into the ground and an upper end coupledto a driver above the ground; (c) actuating the driver during (b) to (i)advance the first elongate member through the base plate and the tubularguide and (ii) advance the lower end of the first elongate memberthrough the ground; (d) bending a second elongate member extendingthrough the base plate and the second tubular guide after (c), whereinthe second elongate member has a lower end inserted into the ground andan upper end coupled to the driver above the ground; and (e) actuatingthe driver during (d) to (i) advance the second elongate member throughthe base plate and the tubular guide and (ii) advance the lower end ofthe second elongate member through the ground.
 13. The method of claim12, wherein each elongate member has a length-to-width ratio greaterthan 10, and wherein each elongate member has a width less than or equalto 1.0 in.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein each elongate member hasa length-to-width ratio greater than
 30. 15. The method of claim 9,wherein the first guide is oriented parallel to the second guide. 16.The method of claim 12, wherein the first tubular guide has a centralaxis and the second tubular guide has a central axis oriented at anacute angle relative to the central axis of the first tubular guide infront or side view of the guide member.
 17. The method of claim 9,further comprising: (f) seating a cover plate on the base plate after(e); (g) placing a jack on the cover plate after (f); (h) lifting thestructure with the jack after (g); and (i) installing a plurality ofsupports between the cover plate and the structure; (j) lowering thejack after (i) to transfer a weight of the structure from the jack tothe plurality of supports.